Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on
Friday, Putin theorized that Angela Merkel's recent outburst about not
being able to rely on the United States anymore "was an expression of
her resentment over a limited sovereignty."

Merkel may enjoy having her phones tapped by her "allies" in Washington, but Putin is less than impressed:

There are not so many countries in the world that enjoy the
privilege of sovereignty. I don't want to offend anybody, but what Ms
Merkel said is an expression of her resentment over a limited
sovereignty. I assure you of that, whatever she answers later
on. Within the framework of the military-political alliances, it is
restrained on official terms. It is determined what is allowed and what
is not allowed. And in practice, it is even harsher. You must not do
anything that is not allowed. And who is giving that permission? The leadership. And where is the leadership? It's far away.